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15/11/2019
Fianna Fáil To Debate New Bill To Tackle Overcrowding In Rental Accommodation
Fianna Fáil are set to debate a new Bill aimed at tackling overcrowding in rental accommodation at second stage in the Dáil today, 15 November.
Fianna Fáil TD for Wicklow, Pat Casey, said the Bill provides for a new statutory definition of overcrowded housing and strengthens penalties against landlords who breach them.
The Bill draws from legislation in the UK and Canada and replaces the current outdated definition from 1966. Some 3,465 people have cited overcrowding as their primary reason for applying for social housing in the last Social Housing needs assessment published last week.
Deputy Casey said: "The current law is out of date and out of touch with the reality of life in Ireland. The aim of today's Bill is to provide clarity to ensure landlords cannot exploit the current rental crisis by forcing people to live in unsafe and substandard conditions.
"Even today sub-standard accommodation is being advertised across Dublin. This is simply unacceptable. Our Bill sets the basic minimum not the preferred option standards for new builds.
"While fire safety legislation can be used to tackle issues such as overcrowding, it does not cover all units, nor does it encompass quality of life standards. Everyone watched in horror as the RTÉ investigates programme was aired which showed horrific scenes of 14 people to a bedroom with bunk-beds squashed in together. These kinds of standards are not acceptable in a modern country and our Bill will stamp it out.
"We are in the middle of a housing crisis and need to boost supply to tackle rising prices. However, we cannot allow standards to fall or unscrupulous individuals to exploit the current situation. This Bill will help to achieve that. I look forward to working with the government and other parties to get this legislation passed," concluded Deputy Casey.
(MH/CM)
Fianna Fáil TD for Wicklow, Pat Casey, said the Bill provides for a new statutory definition of overcrowded housing and strengthens penalties against landlords who breach them.
The Bill draws from legislation in the UK and Canada and replaces the current outdated definition from 1966. Some 3,465 people have cited overcrowding as their primary reason for applying for social housing in the last Social Housing needs assessment published last week.
Deputy Casey said: "The current law is out of date and out of touch with the reality of life in Ireland. The aim of today's Bill is to provide clarity to ensure landlords cannot exploit the current rental crisis by forcing people to live in unsafe and substandard conditions.
"Even today sub-standard accommodation is being advertised across Dublin. This is simply unacceptable. Our Bill sets the basic minimum not the preferred option standards for new builds.
"While fire safety legislation can be used to tackle issues such as overcrowding, it does not cover all units, nor does it encompass quality of life standards. Everyone watched in horror as the RTÉ investigates programme was aired which showed horrific scenes of 14 people to a bedroom with bunk-beds squashed in together. These kinds of standards are not acceptable in a modern country and our Bill will stamp it out.
"We are in the middle of a housing crisis and need to boost supply to tackle rising prices. However, we cannot allow standards to fall or unscrupulous individuals to exploit the current situation. This Bill will help to achieve that. I look forward to working with the government and other parties to get this legislation passed," concluded Deputy Casey.
(MH/CM)
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